Through the Evening

Sunday, July 6, 2014


"So you whisper your arrival walking backwards to the
door, wonder briefly what it is you're hesitating for. All
the streets lie down, deserted in the darkest part of night,
to lead you through the evening to the light. Pulled along
in the tender grip of watches and ellipses. Small request:
could we please turn around?"

- from "Time's Arrow" by John K. Samson


Our summers always seem to rush past us, and we long to appreciate every minute of daylight. In early July, dusk lasts until nearly 9:30. We live five minutes from the Humber River and its beautiful walking path, and ten minutes from Lake Ontario. Most of the year, I enjoy those areas in my daytime walks, but in Toronto's glorious fleeting summer, I relish the extra few hours. And with the girls working at camp for most of the next two months, Andrew and I took advantage of having no particular plans one evening to go for a twilight walk.

I also took advantage of the very hot weather earlier this week to make this wonderful main-course salad. True, there's a bit of advance prep work, and the recipe looks involved, but most of the steps take just a few minutes. That means at mealtime, all you have to do is assemble this salad and eat it - giving you even more time to enjoy your lovely summer evening.


Southwestern Salad
(adapted from Backroad Journal

For the Vinaigrette: In a small bowl, combine 1/3 cup olive oil, 3 Tbsp fresh lime juice, 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/2 tsp salt and two shakes Tabasco sauce. Whisk well to combine.

For the Roasted Chicken: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Drizzle one chicken breast with olive oil and squeeze a little lime juice over it. Season with salt, pepper and ground cumin. Roast for 30 - 40 minutes or until cooked. Let chicken rest for 5 minutes, then slice. Drizzle with a little vinaigrette.

For the Eggs: Peel 2 hard-boiled eggs and cut into quarters.

For the Black Beans: Wash and drain well 1 can (19 ounces/540 mL) of black beans and season with 1/4 tsp of oregano, and cumin, pepper and salt to taste. Add some of the vinaigrette, toss well and let rest for 10 minutes to allow flavours to mix.

For the Corn: Remove the kernels from one cob of corn (about 2/3 cup). In a skillet, add 1 Tbsp olive oil and sauté 3 Tbsp diced red onion until translucent. Add 2 Tbsp diced sweet red or green pepper and 1 minced clove garlic, and cook for 1 minute. Add corn, season with 1/4 tsp cumin and salt. Saute for about two minutes, then remove from heat and let cool.

For the Avocado: Cut an avocado in half, remove the pit, peel and cut into chunks. Squeeze a little lime juice over it to keep it from turning brown. Drizzle with a little vinaigrette and gently mix.

For the Cheese: Slice wedges of Manchego cheese, or crumble pieces of feta or goat cheese.

To assemble the salad: Add about 4 – 5 cups of romaine lettuce, washed, dried and cut into bite-sized pieces to a large bowl, season with a little salt and pepper and toss with just enough dressing to lightly coat. Place the lettuce on a large platter and arrange the chicken, eggs, beans, corn, avocado and cheese in neat rows along the top. Serve with any remaining vinaigrette on the side.



24 comments:

Angie's Recipes said...

I have seen this salad on Karen's blog too...yours turn out just as beautiful and delicious as hers, Beth. Continue to enjoy your summer!
Angie

Anonymous said...

a perfect salad....simple to put together and so very comforting....some of the simplest dishes are unbeatable and best,this certainly is :-)

Julie said...

Beautiful salad and even more beautiful photos! Happy Summer!!

Valerie Gamine said...

Summer needs a pause button, or, at the very least, a slo-mo function.
Delicious salad!! Love the varying colours and textures. :D

Anonymous said...

Lovely salad.

Anonymous said...

Lovely pictures and super salad!! isn't summer wondreful!!
Mary

Bonnie said...

Beth, Salad is my favorite summer supper. This looks yummy! I hope you had a wonderful weekend...Bonnie

Barbara said...

Hard to believe it's nearly the middle of July already, Beth. S. Florida gets hot and humid for the next two months, so while I love living here, these are my least favorite months.
Great looking salad!

Jessica Lawson said...

This looks beautifully simple and delicious! I love salad main courses (and I love Manchego cheese!). I can't believe that August is just three weeks away~ my 5YO starts school this year~ big moment arriving :) The girls and I are about to go to Nashville for 2 weeks to visit with my parents~ hopefully we'll get some good summer fun in.

Vi said...

I love summer evenings outdoors, too. Your pictures are beautiful. Avocado and roasted chicken- yum! Also you are so sweet to send me something!! I can't wait to get it in the mail.

Jemi Fraser said...

Just picked up some limes & avocado this morning - good timing!! :)
Love the pics :)

vanillasugarblog said...

Yes our summers do rush past us, and this year I am taking more time at the beach. So far so good. Now if we could just get rid of winter.

Claudia said...

I will be doing this. It does seem a perfect way to honor summer. Really loving the vinaigrette. It is fleeting in MN also - and do we just appreciate it more because of that? Love the parting shot. Perfect!

Liz That Skinny Chick Can Bake said...

Beautiful summer scenes....and the perfect summer dinner!

Katerina said...

Summer salads are the best meals!

Joanne said...

sounds like you guys are having a great summer thus far! And eating so deliciously. Love all the components of this salad!

Belinda said...

That's a beautifully arranged summer meal!

Juliana said...

Love the photos Beth...and the salad just look perfect.
Have a great week :D

Inger @ Art of Natural Living said...

Great vista of Toronto! We have all the girls working summer jobs for the first time--one at home, one at our vacation place and the third at both--it's making for an interesting summer (probably with fewer leisurely walks)...

amy (fearless homemaker) said...

I love a main course salad and yours looks SO lovely. Perfect for the leisurely summer evenings. =)

Kitchen Riffs said...

Love the pictures! And the salad! Wonderful flavors in it, and so perfect for the hot weather. Thanks!

Anonymous said...

Love the pictures and how they capture this beautiful time of day. The salad looks good, too.

Anonymous said...

Lovely way to spend your vacation... wonderfully arranged summer meal!

Choc Chip Uru @ Go Bake Yourself said...

A delicious salad full of summery flavours :D

Cheers
Choc Chip Uru

Post a Comment